Matching card game

ABSTRACT

A card game is provided that includes collection cards, point cards, and action-altering cards. The action-altering cards may include a prevention card that precludes a player from making an otherwise allowed play as long as the action-altering card is possessed by that player. Wild cards may be included and used to complete a set of any of the collection cards. Players trade cards by calling out bids simultaneously and trading that number of cards with a player calling out the same bid. Once a set of collection cards is completed, that player may claim a corresponding point card, unless precluded from doing so by possession of an action-altering card.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/472,315 entitled “Magical Creatures Card Game,” filed May 20, 2003, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to melding type card games, and more specifically, to card games including cards that alter how the game is played. Card games that incorporate nontraditional “suits” can increase the interest of children and provide easier methods of play by enabling children to associate cards based on words and graphics in addition to numerical values. These games are also able to simulate real life events and assist in teaching monetary transactions or methods of business. Various bidding procedures are often used in collecting sets of a particular suit that may or may not involve the use of tokens. Examples of such card games are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 746,492, 775,072, 927,183, 1,263,860, 1,460,485, 1,516,798, 1,553,736, 1,678,576, 1,779,584, 1,994,053, 4,378,942, 4,437,670, 5,816,573, 6,322,077 and 6,454,265, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a game including cards and rules for playing a matching type card game for a plurality of players. Specifically, the invention provides multiple sets of cards, among which are collection cards and point cards. Collection cards are used to collect matching sets while point cards are used to keep track of players' scores. In some embodiments, action-altering cards and wild cards are also included. In a preferred embodiment, the action-altering card is a prevention card that prevents the player holding the card from claiming a matching set, and thereby obtaining a point card. Wild cards may be used in place of any collection cards in order to complete a set.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary card carrying case and exemplary cards, including collection cards, point cards, and action-altering cards, according to the present description.

FIG. 2 depicts the initial set-up of an exemplary game using the cards of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of bidding and trading of cards between players having matching bids.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary acquisition of a point card for a corresponding complete set of collection cards.

FIG. 5 depicts presence of an action-altering card preventing a player from acquiring a point card while another player acquires a point card from an opponent's point cards.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the game includes a card case 10 and multiple sets of cards, such as cards 12. Cards 12 may be any desired shape including, for example, round. Case 10 is provided with an internal chamber sized for storing and carrying cards 12 and may match the shape of cards 12. For example, if cards 12 are round, then case 10 may be round. As shown, case 10 may include a hinge 14 so that portions of case 10 remain connected to each other when opened. In some embodiments, case 10 may have a chain 16 and a clasp 18 attached to the case for ease in carrying cards 12. Thus, case 10 provides a way for children to transport cards 12 without losing them. Case 10 may be produced with variations in color and decoration, and thereby assist children in readily identifying which set is theirs.

FIG. 1 further illustrates examples of cards 12 used to play the disclosed game. Cards 12 may include multiple sets of collection cards 20, multiple point cards 22, and at least one action-altering card 24. Collection cards 20 and point cards 22 are divided into suits with the number of suits used in a game being variable to adjust the complexity of the game or the number of players involved. Collection cards 20 include several cards of the same suit that form a set. Referring to FIG. 1, the game may therefore include several Hedwig, Norbert, and Fluffy cards. In general, action-altering cards 24 change what moves a player may make. For example, action-altering cards 24 may include a prevention card 26 that precludes a player from making an otherwise allowed play as long as the action-altering card is possessed by that player. In some embodiments, a player holding a prevention card 26 must first trade it away before calling a completed set of collection cards 20, and can therefore not earn points, as will subsequently be discussed. Action-altering cards 24 may include wild cards 28 that may be incorporated into a set of collection cards 20.

Cards 12 have a front 30 and a back 32. Front 30 of collection cards 20 may bear collection indicia 34 to facilitate matching of collection cards 20. Collection indicia 34 are therefore adapted to provide easy recognition and collection of each set of the collection cards. Collection indicia 34 may be a picture 36, a color 38, a name 40, or a combination of these elements. Any of collection indicia 34 may also reference fictional characters, such as those shown which are based on the popular children's book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling.

Point cards 22 also bear indicia 42 and correspond to matching sets of collection cards 20. Point card indicia 42 may therefore be similar to collection indicia 34. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, some of indicia 42 are used as reference indicia 44 and are therefore adapted to reference collection cards 20. Some of indicia 42 are used as point-value indicia 46 to designate different point values for each point card 22, although it should be appreciated that point cards 22 may all have the same value. For example, point values may be represented by multiple indicia that are counted to determine the point value of the card. In some embodiments, point-value indicia 46 are reduced-scale versions of collection indicia 34 and/or reference indicia 44. As shown in FIG. 1, point card 22 that is labeled as “FLUFFY” is worth five points since there are five images below the name. Point card indicia 42 may include a picture 48, a color 50, and a name 52 that match a set of collection cards 20. Point cards 22 may include care instructions 54 that add to the amusement of children. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, which takes the form of a care of magical creatures game, the care instructions 54 for Fluffy might read “Feed delinquent students once a semester.” In some embodiments, wild cards 28 may be incorporated into any set of collection cards 20.

The play of the game is now described according to one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2-5. Play begins, as shown in FIG. 2 by placing point cards 22 face up in the center of a play area 100, typically in numerical order based on their point values. Collection cards 20 are then shuffled and dealt to a plurality of players 102 until all collection cards 20 have been dealt. In some embodiments all of the cards are distributed regardless of discrepancies in the number of cards each player 102 may possess. The illustrated example includes four players, namely, player A 104, player B 106, player C 108, and player D 110, although it should be appreciated that the game may be adapted for any number of players.

Each player then looks at his or her cards and decides which set of collection cards 20 he or she will collect. When all of the players are ready, play begins with the players simultaneously calling out the number of collections cards 20 that each player would like to trade in an attempt to complete a set. If any two players have called out matching numbers then those players trade the agreed upon number of collection cards 20 by passing them to the other player. The cards may be passed front side down so that players not involved in the trade are not able to see which suits are being traded. For example, in FIG. 3 player B 106 and player C 108 both called out two cards so they trade two cards with each other. Once a player completes a set of collection cards 20, that player identifies the set by collection indicia 34 (such as by calling out name 40), lays down the set to show the other players, and takes the corresponding point card 22, as shown in FIG. 4.

Collection cards 20 are then reshuffled and distributed to the players as previously described. As noted above, action-altering cards 24 may be included to prevent a player from making an otherwise allowed play. Referring to FIG. 5, player B 106 has completed a set of collection cards “NORBERT” 20, but may not claim the corresponding point card 22 while holding action-altering card 24.

As play progresses, players 102 may collect any sets of collection cards 20 having indicia 34 at any time in the game. If another player has a point card 22 having indicia corresponding to the indicia of a collected set of cards, the player may claim a corresponding point card 22 held by another player, also shown in FIG. 5. As shown, player C 108 may claim the “HEDWIG” point card, corresponding to player C's set of collection cards 20, from player B 106.

In some embodiments, a single point card 22 may correspond to a set of collection cards 20; however, it should be appreciated that multiple point cards may correspond to each set of collection cards 20. In such an embodiment, the point cards for each set of collection cards may vary by point value.

The game ends when all of point cards 22 have been claimed from the center of play area 100. The winner is whichever of the players has the most points, as tallied from all point cards 22 in each player's possession.

It is believed that the disclosure set forth above encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in its preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where any claim recites “a” or “a first” element or the equivalent thereof, such claim should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements.

Inventions embodied in various combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements, and/or properties may be claimed through presentation of new claims in a related application. Such new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure. 

1. A card game for a plurality of players comprising: multiple sets of matching collection cards having collection indicia adapted to provide easy recognition and collection of each set of the collection cards; multiple point cards having: reference indicia, adapted to reference the collection cards, and point-value indicia adapted to provide a point value for the corresponding set of collection cards; and at least one action-altering card including indicia indicating that an otherwise allowable play is precluded.
 2. The card game of claim 1, further including at least one wild card including indicia indicating that the wild card is adapted to be incorporated into any set of matching collection cards.
 3. The card game of claim 1, wherein the point-value indicia are reduced-scale versions of at least one of the collection indicia and the reference indicia.
 4. The card game of claim 3, wherein the quantity of point-value indicia indicates the point value of collecting a complete set of corresponding collection cards.
 5. The card game of claim 1, wherein the collection indicia, the reference indicia, and the point-value indicia are selected from a group consisting of a picture, a color, and a name.
 6. The card game of claim 1, wherein the collection cards are round.
 7. The card game of claim 1, further including a case adapted to store the collection cards, wherein the case is shaped substantially the same as the collection cards.
 8. The card game of claim 7, wherein the case includes a clasp adapted to couple the case to another object.
 9. A method of playing a card game for a plurality of players, comprising: providing multiple sets of collection cards having collection indicia adapted to provide easy recognition and matching of the collection cards; providing point cards having point-value indicia and reference indicia that refer to particular sets of collection cards; dealing the multiple sets of collection cards; placing the point cards face up on a play area to display the point-value indicia and the reference indicia; calling out bids for a number of collection cards to trade; trading the number of collection cards that were bid; repeating the bidding and trading steps until a complete set of collection cards is obtained; and acquiring a point card from the play area that matches the complete set of collection cards.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising precluding acquisition of a point card if a prevention card is received until the prevention card is traded away.
 11. The method of claim 9, further comprising acquiring a point card corresponding to a completed set of collection cards from anywhere on the play area.
 12. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a wild card adapted to complete a set of collection cards.
 13. The method of claim 9, further comprising declaring a winner based on the highest point total according to the point-value indicia on the point cards collected.
 14. A card game comprising: multiple sets of collection cards having collection indicia adapted to provide easy recognition and collection of each set of the collection cards; at least one action-altering card having indicia indicating that an otherwise allowed play is precluded, wherein the multiple sets of collection cards and the at least one action-altering card have a particular shape; and a case adapted to store the multiple sets of collection cards and the at least one action-altering card, wherein the case has a shape corresponding to the particular shape of the multiple sets of collection cards and the at least one action-altering card.
 15. The card game of claim 14, further including multiple point cards having reference indicia, adapted to reference the multiple sets of collection cards, and point-value indicia adapted to provide a point value for the corresponding set of collection cards.
 16. The card game of claim 15, wherein the point-value indicia are reduced-scale versions of at least one of the collection indicia and the reference indicia.
 17. The card game of claim 16, wherein the quantity of point-value indicia indicates the point value of a completed set of corresponding collection cards.
 18. The card game of claim 15, wherein the collection indicia, the reference indicia, and the point-value indicia include at least one of a picture, a color, and a name.
 19. The card game of claim 14, wherein the at least one action-altering card includes at least one wild card adapted to be incorporated into any set of matching collection cards.
 20. The card game of claim 14, wherein the particular shape is a circle. 